(This Caramel Banana Baked French Toast recipe can be found at the site Celebrating Sweets here.)
Step by Step Instructions:
Breakfast just got a bit sweeter with this Caramel Banana Baked French Toast recipe. Here’s what you’ll need: Vanilla Bean Paste (or good quality vanilla extract), Cinnamon, Salt, Maple Syrup, Half and Half (I used fat-free), 8 Eggs, Milk (I went with 2%), 3 Bananas, 1 15-16 ounce loaf of Italian (or French) Bread, Brown Sugar, Flour, and Unsalted Butter.
Start off with the brown sugar banana filling by melting 6 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
To the melted butter add 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and a pinch of salt.
Whisk the mixture really well to ensure it’s smooth and free of brown sugar lumps. Once it’s bubbling, remove it from the heat.
As the brown sugar sauce is chilling slightly. slice up the 3 bananas.
Add the banana slices to the sauce.
Gently stir and ensure that all of the banana slices are coated in the brown sugar sauce, and set the pan aside for a few minutes.
Then use a serrated knife to slice the break into about an inch-thick slices and then cut into large cubes.
In a large bowl add the custard ingredients including 8 large eggs, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of half and half, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste.
Then whisk really well so that the eggs are broken up and all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Grab a 2 1/2 or 3 quart baking dish and spray it well with cooking spray.
Then layer half of the bread on the bottom of the baking dish.
Then add half of your brown sugar banana mixture across the top of the bread.
Add a final layer of bread evenly across the dish.
Now give the custard a good whisk again and pour it evenly over the bread. Once all of the custard is poured, use a large spoon to press down on the bread cubes so that they start soaking up the custard.
Then spoon the rest of the banana and brown sugar sauce over the bread.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight so the bread can soak up all of the custard. Your Caramel Banana Baked French Toast is only a good night’s sleep away from complete enjoyment!
The last thing to make for this Caramel Banana Baked French Toast is the streusel topping. You can either make it the night before or right before you bake the French toast. I opted for the former, and add 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1/3 cup of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to a bowl.
Then use a fork to combine the ingredients.
Then add 3 tablespoons of softened butter to the bowl.
Time for a good arm workout. Use your fork and start working in the butter by smashing and stirring it around. It’ll feel like you’ll never get it done, but you will!
Here is the topping. You’ll see the consistency resembles wet sand, so keep mashing and stirring your butter in until you get there. If you make the topping the night before, cover the bowl and refrigerate it until you’re ready for it.
In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then remove the dish from the refrigerator. You’ll see the bread has done a great job of soaking up the custard.
Then sprinkle the topping over the French toast so it makes a nice, even layer over the top. And bake i the preheated oven for 40-55 minutes or until the center is set and the topping starts to caramelize.
Here is my Caramel Banana Baked French Toast out of the oven. Seriously the smell is AMAZING!! I baked my French toast for about 50 minutes so the center was set and the crust was golden brown so it added great texture to the dish. Serve it right away with your favorite toppings. I loved this with whipped cream, chopped pecans, maple syrup, and sliced strawberries. Happy French toast-ing!
- BROWN SUGAR BANANA FILLLING:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted Butter
- ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons pure Maple Syrup
- pinch Salt
- 3 ripe-firm Bananas, peeled and sliced
- FRENCH TOAST:
- 8 large Eggs
- 1 cup Milk (preferably whole or 2%)
- 1 cup fat-free Half and Half
- 2 tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste (or good quality vanilla extract)
- One 15-oz loaf Italian or French Bread, cut into large cubes
- STREUSEL TOPPING:
- ⅓ cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup all purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon ground Cinnamon
- pinch Salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted Butter, softened
- SERVE WITH: Your choice of Maple Syrup, Caramel Sauce, Sliced Bananas, Sliced Strawberries, Chopped Nuts, and/or Whipped Cream
- Begin by making the brown sugar banana filling. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons of butter. Then add ¾ cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and a pinch of salt and whisk well. Once all of the lumps are out and the mixture is smooth, remove the pan from the heat. Add the banana slices and stir gently to coat all of the bananas.
- Then in a large bowl, you’ll mix up the custard. Add 8 large eggs, a cup of milk, a cup of half and half, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and a tablespoon of vanilla bean paste or extract and whisk really well until the custard is throughly combined.
- Spray a 2.5 or 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Then put half of the bread cubes in the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Then spoon half of the brown sugar banana filling over the bread. Add the remaining bread crumbs in a single layer. Whisk the custard mixture again and pour it over the bread. Then press down the top layer of bread so it’ll also start absorbing the custard. Finally top the bread with the remaining brown sugar banana filling. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- For the streusel topping, you can make it the night before and refrigerate or make it before baking the French toast if you’d rather. In a medium-sized bowl combine ⅓ cup of brown sugar, ⅓ cup of flour, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt with a fork. Then add 3 tablespoons of softened butter and use the fork to work the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles wet sand. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready for the topping.
- After the bread and custard have set up in the fridge overnight, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Top the French toast with the streusel topping. Then bake for 40-55 minutes or until the custard has cooked (meaning the center isn’t super wet) and the top has started to caramelize. (I baked mine about 50 minutes so it was more well done and the top had a nice caramelized crust.) Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
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